The invention relates to improvements in hand carried cases for mobile office systems which may include a portable computer, a portable printer, cable connections, a DC to AC power transformer, as well as self contained battery packs for complete portability of the office.
Carrying cases have been devised and used in the past for transporting a computer and a printer, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,590 which shows a case having a computer mounted on a platform, with a printer mounted on a second platform in which the second platform has a paper storage area under the platform for tractor fed manifold paper. A disadvantage of the prior art constructions is that although the carrying devices are considered to be mobile offices, they do not have provisions for holding all the accessories required for conducting an office when away from the user""s principal office.
Prior art constructions including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,442,512; 5,437,367; 5,232,276; 5,214,574; 4,896,776; 4,837,590; and 4,790,431 all include some form of shelves, pedestals, spacer support, platforms, frames housing fixed compartments, electrical switching banks, fasteners or clamps. A disadvantage and drawback of these prior art constructions are undesirable and unnecessary additional size, weight and complexity.
What is desired, therefore, is to provide a smaller, lighter and simpler mobile office with which salesmen, contractors or field personnel can readily transport and operate all the common equipment needed for conducting business at almost any location.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrying case for a mobile office system having provisions for holding all the accessories required for conducting an office when away from the user""s principal office.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a padded separator to protect the computer and printer when being transported in the case.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a zippered cover for the carrying case which features on the inside of the cover separate compartments for printer paper, working files, a calculator compartment, a pen holding section, as well as a data processor for a complete mobile office for transporting to the job site, and either: 1) using DC power from self contained batteries, in order to complete written job estimates or invoices while at the job site, 2) obtaining a power source from an AC outlet, or 3) obtaining a DC power source from a vehicle cigarette lighter.
A further feature of the present invention is to provide a cutout in a wall of the base of the carrying case for the printed paper exiting from the printer in full view of the operator. The padded carrying case is also provided with a handle for easy portability.
The present invention is especially useful for business people such as painters, cleaners, builders, plumbers, electricians, and outdoor service people, such as landscapers for taking the mobile office to the job site and either obtaining a power source from an AC outlet, or DC power from a vehicle cigarette lighter output, or self-contained batteries, in order to complete job estimates or invoices while at the job site in order to expedite interactions with customers or potential customers.
An advantage of the present invention is that because of its simplicity, components such as the computer, printer, power transformer, power surge protector, cables or adapters can quickly and easily be removed, replaced or interchanged with other commonly available models. No tools or adjustments are required other than possibly adding or removing padding that is not an integral part of the carrying case. Thus, the current invention shares the desirable characteristic of some prior artxe2x80x94the ability of a person to quickly open the carrying case and operate the enclosed components with minimal connecting or repositioningxe2x80x94yet improves upon it.
A further advantage of the present invention is that because of its simplicity and lack of fasteners, clamps, pedestals, shelves, etc. the current invention can be constructed as either a soft sided, padded case or a formed, hard shell case.
An embodiment of the current invention might include a separate pouch, gusset or compartment to contain items such as power cords, adapters, a power transformer, a power surge protector and other supplies not essential to the operation of the computer and printer. This would keep the main compartment containing the computer and printer free from additional clutter. The pouch might include small access holes connecting to the main compartment through which the ends of the power cords for the computer and printer can pass. Thus, if an external power source is being used, the appropriate electrical connections can be made within the pouch, an appropriate end of a power cord or a DC to AC power transformer can extend from the pouch to the outside of the carrying case to be plugged into an external AC or DC outlet, and only the ends of the computer and/or printer power cords need to pass through to the main compartment containing the computer and printer to complete the connections to the external power source.
Other embodiments of the current invention might exclude the cutout in a wall of the base of the carrying case that accommodates paper exiting from the printer. It is possible that a particular portable printer model may pass exiting paper above the walls of the base of the carrying case and therefore no accommodation is needed to provide for exiting paper. Furthermore, a curving ramp might be placed within the base of the case to accept paper exiting from the printer below the walls of the base of the carrying case and bend it in such a way that the paper will exit above the walls of the base of the case.
The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.